A TCM forklift moving sideways on all four wheels attracted the attention of hundreds of visitors to the recent SaudiBuild 2002 exhibition held in Riyadh

The forklift, a TCM Acroba, was on display at Aljomaih Holding Company's stand 6010 where sales manager Mohammed Al-Rafieq explained its salient features.

"The forklift has been designed to move sideways. Due to this feature, the Acroba can turn around its vertical axis with zero turning radius," he explained as he demonstrated this innovative feature.

Highlighting the benefits of the machine, Abdullah Al-Ali, general manager of Al Jomaih'sheavy and agricultural equipment division, said: "The breakthrough features of the Acroba Series, which has a capacity ranging from 1.5 to 4 tonnes, improve the storage capacity of a warehouse between 10 to 30 per cent through its straight sideways movement and pivot turns.

"It requires less turning allowance and therefore improves turnaround time and productivity. It significantly reduces physical fatigue caused by long continuous operation through its unique swivel seat and improved rear visibility".

With the wide range of models that TCM manufactures - some purpose-designed for specific applications such as cargo container stacking or transporting large concrete pipes or long and heavy steel beams or heavy coils of steel - customers are given the choice of models which are best-suited for their operating applications.

The full range of TCM products including diesel, gasoline, LPG and electric forklift trucks - together with their attachments - is supplied in the Kingdom by Aljomaih's heavy and agricultural equipment division. As TCM's distributor, Aljomaih provides excellent after-sales service with its well-equipped workshop and well-stocked parts department, says Al-Ali.

Aljomaih also represents Fiat-Allis, Iveco Aifo, Merlo, Nardi and Case New Holland of Italy, Class and MTU of Germany, TCM and Tacom of Japan, Nokka-Tume of Finland, Perkins of the UK and Arcusin of Spain.

The firm sells a wide range of generator sets and engines, wheel-loaders, dozers and graders, concrete mixers, vibratory compactors and asphalt rollers, forklifts and telescopic handlers, marine container straddle carrier and telescopic spreaders, agri-tractors and harvesters, mowers and balers, combined seed drills and fertiliser spreaders, cultivators and disc ploughs and trailers and auto-bale loaders to the Saudi market.